


Unconfirmed Creature

by Niokuma



Series: Hauntober [28]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Bigfoot - Freeform, Gen, Hauntober, M/M, cryptid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:47:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27258913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Niokuma/pseuds/Niokuma
Summary: The kids go into a park full of redwood trees.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Series: Hauntober [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948978





	Unconfirmed Creature

**Author's Note:**

> Rated T for Too Much Injury  
> Original Work for Hauntober Prompt =Cryptid=  
> Characters: Makhel, Tiok, Rio, Mae, Nioku, Dean, Unnamed Male Character, Unnamed Bigfoot Character, Unnamed Park Ranger

=Cryptid=

Makhel adjusted the large backpack slung over his shoulders. “I thought we were just searching for ectoplasmic beings who slipped through the cracks of the system. Now we’re looking for creatures that have an unconfirmed existence?”

“You thought ectoplasmic entities weren’t real, what’s wrong with believing in hibagon now?” Tiok was ahead of the group and had stopped to look at everyone.

“Should we be in the SeDoña Sequoia Grove,” Rio asked, getting next to Tiok. He dropped his own large back and stretched. “Isn’t there a reproductive fire in these parts someplace?”

“Not in these parts,” Mae answered. She stepped up next to Rio and Tiok showing her an almost constantly updating map on her phone. “The closest fire is like, ten miles west of here. We’re going North-East and are downwind at the same time, so we should be fine. They wouldn’t of started the burning if they foresaw a shift in the wind. Let’s continue.”

“Can we take a break,” Nioku whimpered out, thudding to the ground. “My body hurts!” Dean nuzzled him and bellowed out. “I’m fine, just, hurts all over from hefting this massive bag around.” Dean licked Nioku on the face and sat down next to him, watching him.

“Come on, the walking’s doing you good, pretty sure I saw you lose a quarter of a pound back there, maybe even a whole half-pound.”

“Knock it off, Tiok,” Rio growled out, shoving Tiok roughly to the ground. He then sat down next to Nioku. “I can use a rest too.” Makhel joined the two as Mae crouched where she was and proceeded to tap away at her phone.

***

After a bit, Dean suddenly perked and stood, taking a protective stance, growling. Almost immediately, Nioku grabbed at himself and started shaking violently.

“Glad I brought my rapier,” Rio said, pulling it out. He did a quick flurry and looked at the others. “I’ll check it out. Tiok, you know how to handle Nioku.”

“Want me to come with you,” Makhel asked as Mae moved over to Nioku. “Two blades are better than one.” He had also brought his rapier.

“No, one sword in the front and one with the group. I can handle myself. I’m also the better fencer.”

Makhel smiled and kissed Rio on the forehead. “Go protect us.” Rio nodded, face slightly red. He then whistled to Dean who followed after.

“Lead the way, boy,” he stated and Dean nodded, bounding off with Rio behind him. “Not too fast!” Dean paused and waited for Rio to catch up before founding forward some more.

After a few yards, Rio stopped and checked a tree as Dean bounded out of sight.

“This isn’t right,” he muttered. “Blood and tufts of fur. Dean! Be careful!” There was a loud yelp and Rio ran off in the direction Dean had been running. When the large canine came into view, his heart almost stopped. Dean was sprawled out on the ground and a massive man with a rifle was pointing it at him.

“Dean!”

The man looked at Rio, pointing the rifle at him but then a large, lumbering, red-furred being barred into the man with the rifle. It then ran back to Dean and picked it up before running off. Rio quickly followed, sheathing his blade.

***

“Dean,” Nioku cried out, hearing the wolf’s yelp. He stood and vanished in the direction it had come from. When he came across the man with the rifle, Nioku was on him immediately. “Where’s my dog!?” He had the man by the front of his shirt.

“Nioku, don’t kill him,” Makhel cried out, pulling Nioku off the man and Mae examined him.

“Something hit him _very_ hard,” she stated. “He’s unconscious.”

“What could of it been,” Makhel asked, looking around.

Tiok looked around and then smiled. “Hibagon.This way! Follow me!” Tiok ran off and Nioku dropped the unconscious man, following after Tiok with Mae following after. Makhel paused to look at the unconscious man but followed them.

***

Rio finally found a cave and quietly entered it. He saw Dean in the back of the cave and ran over to the canine immediately. “Dean, are you alright?” The canine lapped at Rio’s hand who started stroking his thick fur. “Good. Can you get up?” Rio helped a whimpering Dean to his feet. There was a roar and Rio turned to see the red-furred creature standing before him. Despite his better judgment, Rio fought the urge to draw his rapier as Dean moved between Rio and the red-furred being.

***

“Did you guys hear that,” Nioku asked, looking back to the others. “It was the hibagon!” He took off and ran in the direction of the roar coming upon the red-furred creature facing down Dean and Rio. Without pause, he ran into the red-furred creature, the hibagon, and knocked it to the ground as Tiok, Mae, and Makhel arrived.

“Whoa! Tiok, take my phone.” Mae shoved her phone at Tiok and ran over to the hibagon, rolling it over. “Someone, help me lean him up against something. He’s heavy.”

Together, everyone, except for Dean, helped to get the hibagon into a sitting position against the wall.

“What should we do,” Rio asked, looking to the others. “I mean, this right here is proof that hibagon are real.”

“Do you think they’re social creatures or solitary,” Mae asked, crouching down to look it in the face.

“Could be like humans,” Nioku said, shrugging. “Could be a little bit of both. Some of us would rather sit inside all day letting life pass them by while others want to live in it or even thrive and survive.”

The hibagon stirred and the group stepped back as it opened its eyes. It growled at them but Dean growled back then give a haunting, bellowing howl. He then huffed and sat down.

“I so want to take a picture,” Mae whispered out.

“I don’t think you should. The light could startle it. Instead, we should just leave.”

“There you are, Big Foot,” the man with a rifle cried out and everyone looked.

“Knock it off, just because they’re not like us, you can tromp around with a gun and kill it,” Rio stated.

“I don’t think you should antagonize a guy with a gun,” Makhel muttered sideways to him.

The man scoffed and pointed the rifle at them. “Move, or you’re going before the beast.”

“Danger.”

“What?” The man looked at Nioku and Dean started his haunting, bellowing call before jumping at the man. His gun went off and fell from his grasp as Dean stood on his chest, growling.

“Ah, fuck,” Nioku swore out loudly. “He grazed me! Damn, it hurts!”

“Take off your sweater, let me look at it,” Rio commanded. Nioku whimpered but complied, pulling his sweater off, revealing a black tee shirt with an animal head decal.

Makhel gave Nioku a confused look. “It’s a capybara.”

“Mae, first aid kit!”

Mae nodded and searched through her bag, pulling out a first aid kit and opened it. Rio grabbed the gloves and started working on Nioku’s injury.

“We’re gonna need to head back to get it taken care of by a professional,” Rio stated. When he finished the patch job, Rio looked over at the hibagon who was watching them.

Mae closed the case with the scraps in it. “We’re not going to tell anyone, are we?”

“No, we aren’t,” Rio answered. He then walked over to the man with Dean just sitting on his chest.

“Can I shoot him in the foot,” Nioku asked.

“No,” Rio answered. “Unlike him, we’re good people.”

Mae and Tiok laughed and Rio glared at them.

“Oh, you’re serious,” Mae said, eyes wide.

Tiok shrugged. “Guess someone has to be a good person.”

“What if I don’t,” the man asked.

“What’re you gonna say, you shot at hibagon and missed,” Nioku asked, putting his sweater back on, wincing in pain as he did so. “No one’s going to believe you.”

“Don’t move your arm too much,” Rio called over. “We don’t want you tearing the field dressing.”

“Dean, get up,” Nioku commanded and Dean obeyed, standing next to Nioku. The man went to get up but Dean growled. “Down.” Dean sat down next and yipped a bit as the man stood, startling him. Dean let out a laughing bark and Tiok forced the man up.

“You’re lucky you didn’t make it a life-threatening injury,” Tiok growled out. “Had it been, Dean would have ripped your throat out. Makhel, grab the gun while wearing a set of gloves from another one of the first aid kits. Then we’ll take him to the authorities.”

***

When they got to a ranger station, the park ranger nearly fell out of his seat at the sight of them. “Hunting rifle?” He looked at the man and then at the kids. “What happened?”

“He shot me,” Nioku answered as Tiok threw the man to the ground.

“What do we do with the gun,” Makhel asked.

“Place, place it on the desk,” the park ranger answered. Makhel nodded and complied. “We’ve been looking for this man for a while now. We caught word of him hunting something out here, but we couldn’t figure out what. Do you know?”

“SeDoñian Red Bear,” Nioku answered. “Aren’t they an endangered species or something?”

“This park is one of the few places where they exist in the wild,” the park ranger stated. He stepped over to the man and looked him in the eye. “There’s a hefty fine for breaking international wildlife conservation laws. The WWIPF is going to have a field day with you.”

“I wasn’t hunting no bear,” the man cried out. “I was looking for a bigfoot!”

“Oh my gosh, he is crazy,” Mae gasped out, eyes wide. She immediately pulled out her phone and started tapping away at it. As soon as she finished, all the boys’ phones went off.

Nioku rolled his eyes. “Really? An update on your status now?”

“I’ll call the police and you should call your parents,” the park ranger stated.


End file.
